Temporary adhesive composition, and method of producing thin wafer

ABSTRACT

A temporary adhesive for which temporary adhesion and subsequent detachment are simple. The temporary adhesive composition includes: (A) an organopolysiloxane having a weight-average molecular weight of at least 15,000, obtained by a hydrosilylation reaction between (A1) and (A2) described below, and (B) an organic solvent having a boiling point of not more than 220° C., wherein (A1) is an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane having a weight-average molecular weight exceeding 2,000, comprising 35 to 99 mol % of T siloxane units and 1 to 25 mol % of M siloxane units, and in which alkenyl groups bonded to silicon atoms represent at least 2 mol % of all the organic groups bonded to silicon atoms, and (A2) is a specific organohydrogenpolysiloxane having at least two silicon atom-bonded hydrogen atoms or a specific hydrosilyl group-containing compound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a temporary adhesive composition whichenables bonding between substrates, bonding between a substrate and asupport, and the detachment of items that have been bonded together tobe controlled by heating the composition. The invention also relates toa method of producing a thin wafer that uses the adhesive.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Three-dimensional semiconductor mounting has become an essential processfor achieving increased packing densities and higher capacities. Thethree-dimensional mounting technique is a semiconductor fabricationtechnique in which single semiconductor chips are reduced in thicknessto form thin chips, and a plurality of layers of these chips are thenstacked together, with through-silicon vias (TSV) used for electricalconnections between the layers. In order to realize this type ofstructure, a substrate having a semiconductor circuit formed thereonmust be subjected to grinding of the non-circuit-formed surface (alsoreferred to as the “back surface”) to reduce the thickness of thesubstrate, and electrodes including TSVs must then be formed on the backsurface. During the back surface grinding of the silicon substrate, acircuit-formed surface protective tape is bonded to the opposite side ofthe substrate to the grinding surface, thereby preventing wafer breakageduring grinding. However, this tape uses an organic resin film as thebase material which, although exhibiting good flexibility, suffers frominadequate strength and heat resistance, meaning it is not suited to thesubsequent back surface wiring layer formation process.

Accordingly, a system has been proposed in which the semiconductorsubstrate is bonded to a support of silicon or glass or the like usingan adhesive, thereby achieving a structure that is able tosatisfactorily withstand both the back surface grinding and the backsurface electrode formation steps. In this system, the adhesive usedwhen bonding the substrate to the support is an important factor. Theadhesive must be capable of bonding the substrate to the support with novoids therebetween, have sufficient durability to withstand thesubsequent processing steps, and then finally, must allow the thin waferto be easily detached from the support. Because this detachment isperformed in the final step, in this description, the adhesive is termeda “temporary adhesive”.

Conventional temporary adhesives and detachment methods that have beenproposed include a technique in which an adhesive containing alight-absorbing substance is irradiated with high-intensity light,thereby decomposing the adhesive layer and enabling the adhesive layerto be detached from the support (Patent Document 1: JP 2004-64040 A),and a technique in which a heat-meltable hydrocarbon-based compound isused as the adhesive, and bonding and detachment are both performed withthe adhesive in a heated and melted state (Patent Document 2: JP2006-328104 A). The former technique requires expensive equipment suchas a laser or the like, and also suffers from the problem that theprocessing time per substrate is long. Although the latter technique iscontrolled solely be heating, and is therefore relatively simple, thethermal stability of the hydrocarbon-based compound at high temperaturesexceeding 200° C. is inadequate, meaning the applicable temperaturerange is narrow.

Further, a technique that uses a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive asthe temporary adhesive has also been proposed (Patent Document 3: U.S.Pat. No. 7,541,264). In this technique, the substrate is bonded to asupport using an addition reaction-curable silicone pressure-sensitiveadhesive, and then at the time of detachment, the structure is immersedin a chemical agent that dissolves or decomposes the silicone resin,enabling the substrate to be detached from the support. However, thisdetachment requires an extremely long period of time, making itdifficult to apply the technique to an actual production process.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

-   Patent Document 1: JP 2004-64040 A-   Patent Document 2: JP 2006-328104 A-   Patent Document 3: U.S. Pat. No. 7,541,264

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide atemporary adhesive for which temporary adhesion is simple and subsequentdetachment is also simple, thus enabling productivity to be improved,and also to provide a method of producing a thin wafer that uses thetemporary adhesive.

The inventors of the present invention discovered that a compositioncomposed of an organopolysiloxane and an organic solvent that acts as adiluting solvent was effective in achieving the above object.

In other words, the present invention provides a temporary adhesivecomposition comprising:

(A) an organopolysiloxane having a weight-average molecular weight of atleast 15,000, obtained by a hydrosilylation reaction between an alkenylgroup-containing organopolysiloxane (A1) described below and ahydrosilyl group-containing compound (A2) described below in thepresence of a platinum group metal-based catalyst, wherein

(A1) is an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane having aweight-average molecular weight exceeding 2,000, comprising:

(I) 35 to 99 mol % of siloxane units represented by R¹SiO_(3/2) (Tunits),

(II) 0 to 49 mol % of siloxane units represented by R²R³SiO_(2/2) units(D units) and

(III) 1 to 25 mol % of siloxane units represented by R⁴R⁵R⁶SiO_(1/2)units (M units) (wherein each of R¹ to R⁶ represents an unsubstituted orsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms),

in which alkenyl groups bonded to silicon atoms represent at least 2 mol% of all the organic groups bonded to silicon atoms, and

(A2) is a hydrosilyl group-containing compound comprising:

an organohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by an average compositionformula (1):

R⁷ _(a)H_(b)SiO_((4-a-b)/2)  (1)

(wherein R⁷ represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group other than analkenyl group, and a and b are numbers that respectively satisfy0.75≦a≦2.5, 0.05≦b≦1.0, and 0.8≦a+b≦2.6),

and having at least two hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms withineach molecule, or

a bis-hydrosilyl compound represented by a general formula (2):

(wherein each of R⁸ and R⁹ independently represents a monovalenthydrocarbon group other than an alkenyl group, and X represents adivalent organic group), or

a combination thereof,

in an amount sufficient to provide 0.4 to 1.0 mols of hydrogen atomsbonded to silicon atoms per 1 mol of all the alkenyl groups within theorganopolysiloxane (A1), and

(B) an organic solvent having a boiling point of not more than 220° C.

With the temporary adhesive of the present invention, bonding anddetachment can be controlled by heating. The temporary adhesive can bondtwo target items together at a temperature of not more than 200° C., butalso exhibits excellent thermal stability at temperatures of 200° C. orhigher. The method of producing a thin wafer according to the presentinvention that uses the above temporary adhesive exhibits excellentproductivity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration describing a detachment test methodused in the examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A more detailed description of the present invention is presented below.

<Temporary Adhesive Composition> —(A) Organopolysiloxane—

(A1) Alkenyl Group-Containing Organopolysiloxane

The alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane of the component (A1)comprises 35 to 99 mol %, and preferably 50 to 95 mol %, of siloxaneunits represented by R¹SiO_(3/2) (T units), 0 to 49 mol %, andpreferably 10 to 40 mol %, of siloxane units represented byR²R³SiO_(2/2) units (D units), and 1 to 25 mol %, and preferably 3 to 20mol %, of siloxane units represented by R⁴R⁵R⁶SiO_(1/2) units (M units).In this description, the terms M unit, D unit and T unit are used withthe meanings defined above.

In the above units, each of the substituents R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵ and R⁶represents an unsubstituted or substituted monovalent hydrocarbon groupof 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and specific examples include unsubstitutedhydrocarbon groups, including alkyl groups such as a methyl group, ethylgroup, n-propyl group, isopropyl group, n-butyl group, t-butyl group,n-pentyl group and n-hexyl group, alkenyl groups such as a vinyl group,allyl group, butenyl group, pentenyl group, cyclopentenyl group andcyclohexenyl group, cycloalkyl groups such as a cyclopentyl group andcyclohexyl group, and aryl groups such as a phenyl group and tolylgroup, as well as substituted hydrocarbon groups in which at least someof the hydrogen atoms within one of the above hydrocarbon groups haveeach been substituted with a halogen atom such as a chlorine or bromineatom, or a cyano group or the like, such as a cyanomethyl group andtrifluoropropyl group. A methyl group, vinyl group, n-propyl group orphenyl group is preferred. The phenyl group content is particularlyimportant in maintaining a high degree of heat resistance, and thephenyl group content preferably represents at least 40 mol %, and morepreferably 50 to 90 mol %, of all of the organic substituents.

Further, the substituents R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵ and R⁶ must include alkenylgroups. In the present invention, the term “alkenyl group” includes bothlinear alkenyl groups and cyclic alkenyl groups (namely, cycloalkenylgroups). These alkenyl groups are introduced for the purpose of reactingwith the SiH group-containing compound (A2), and from the viewpoint ofreactivity, alkenyl groups in which the double bond is located at themost distant point from the carbon atom bonded to the silicon atom arepreferred. Further, including the alkenyl groups within R² to R⁶ ratherthan within R¹ of the T unit is preferred in terms of improving thehydrosilylation reactivity, and improving the rate of molecular weightincrease. As described above, specific examples of the alkenyl groupsinclude alkenyl groups of 2 to 8 carbon atoms, such as a vinyl group,allyl group, butenyl group, pentenyl group, cyclopentenyl group orcyclohexenyl group, and from the viewpoint of reactivity, vinyl groupsare preferred.

The alkenyl group content must represent at least 2 mol % of all theorganic groups bonded to silicon atoms within the component (A1), and ispreferably at least 2.5 mol % but not more than 10 mol %. If the alkenylgroup content is less than 2 mol %, then the increase in molecularweight of the product resulting from the hydrosilylation tends to besmall, and the physical properties of the obtained organopolysiloxane(A) such as the heat resistance are prone to deterioration.

In the organopolysiloxane (A1), if the amount of T units is less than 35mol %, then the organopolysiloxane (A1) tends not to be solid attemperatures not exceeding 40° C. An organopolysiloxane (A) synthesizedusing this type of component (A1) also tends not to be solid attemperatures not exceeding 40° C., but rather tends to exist as aviscous material having fluidity or even a liquid, either of which isundesirable. Further, from the viewpoint of the thermal stability of theorganopolysiloxane (A) described below, the organopolysiloxane (A1)preferably contains no reactive terminal groups such as silanol groupsor hydrolyzable residues. Accordingly, structures in which condensationunreactive M units are introduced at the terminals of theorganopolysiloxane (A1) are preferred, and the amount of those M unitsis preferably at least 1 mol %.

The D units are structural units that may optionally exist within theorganopolysiloxane, but if the amount of D units exceeds 49 mol %, thenthe organopolysiloxane (A) tends not to be solid at temperatures notexceeding 40° C., but rather tends to exist as a viscous material havingfluidity or even a liquid. As a result, the bonding between the supportand the wafer tends to be unsatisfactory, increasing the danger ofproblems such as misalignment between the wafer and the support thatconstitute the stacked structure during the back surface grinding orsubsequent processing steps.

The amount of M units is typically at least 1 mol % but not more than 25mol %, and is preferably within a range from 3 to 20 mol %. If theamount of M units is less than 1 mol %, then ensuring that the resultingorganopolysiloxane (A) has a structure which is soluble in organicsolvents and yet has a satisfactorily reduced number of reactiveterminal groups such as silanol groups and hydrolyzable residues tendsto become difficult. In contrast, if the amount of M units exceeds 25mol %, then the organopolysiloxane (A) has a structure with a largenumber of terminals and a relatively small molecular weight, which isunsuitable.

The organopolysiloxane (A1) is essentially condensation unreactive, andeven if condensation reactive residues that have not been blocked withthe above-defined M units, namely silanol groups or hydrolyzableresidues such as alkoxysilyl groups, remain at some of the molecularterminals, the amount of these condensation reactive residues ispreferably suppressed to a minimum. If condensation reactive residuessuch as silanol groups or alkoxysilyl groups exist within the moleculein large amounts, then cross-linking via a condensation reaction tendsto occur when heat is applied, which dramatically alters thedetachability of the substrate and is therefore undesirable. The totalamount of condensation reactive residues such as the hydroxyl groups ofsilanol groups and alkoxysilyl groups (Si—OR, wherein OR represents analkoxy residue of the alkoxysilane used as a raw material, such as amethoxy group, ethoxy group, n-propoxy group or isopropoxy group) withinthe entire organopolysiloxane (A1) is preferably not more than 4% bymass, and more preferably 2% by mass or less. Introduction of the Munits enables the amount of these types of condensation reactiveterminal groups to be reduced to the desired level.

The molecular weight of the organopolysiloxane (A1), measured by GPC(gel permeation chromatography) and reported as a weight-averagemolecular weight value obtained using a calibration curve prepared usingstandard polystyrenes (in the present invention, this molecular weightis referred to as the “weight-average molecular weight”) is preferablygreater than 2,000. If this weight-average molecular weight is 2,000 orless, then the resulting organopolysiloxane (A) tends to suffer fromeither reduced adhesive strength or inferior heat resistance, either ofwhich is undesirable. The weight-average molecular weight is morepreferably within a range from approximately 3,000 to 80,000, and stillmore preferably from approximately 3,000 to 50,000.

Furthermore, in addition to T units, D units and M units, theorganopolysiloxane (A1) may also comprise siloxane units represented bySiO_(4/2) (Q units). The amount of these Q units is preferably within arange from 0.1 to 30 mol %, and more preferably from 0.2 to 20 mol %.

If the amount of Q units exceeds 30 mol %, then although the producedorganopolysiloxane (A) readily becomes a solid, significantintramolecular cross-linking tends to occur, meaning the solubility insolvents tends to deteriorate, or control of the softening point withinthe ideal range becomes difficult, either of which is undesirable.

A typical example of an organopolysiloxane of the component (A1) thatalso comprises Q units is an organopolysiloxane comprising:

(I) 40 to 98.9 mol % of the above-mentioned T units,

(II) 0 to 48.9 mol % of the above-mentioned D units,

(III) 0.1 to 30 mol % of the above-mentioned Q units, and

(IV) 1 to 25 mol % of the above-mentioned M units.

The organopolysiloxane of the component (A1) can be produced usingconventional methods. For example, the organopolysiloxane can beobtained via a hydrolysis-condensation reaction, by mixingorganochlorosilanes and/or organoalkoxysilanes or partialhydrolysis-condensation products thereof that correspond with each ofthe desired siloxane units with a mixed solvent containing a sufficientexcess of water to ensure that all the hydrolyzable groups (such aschlorine atoms and alkoxy groups) are hydrolyzed and an organic solventthat is capable of dissolving the raw material silane compounds and theproduct organopolysiloxane, and then allowing thehydrolysis-condensation reaction to proceed. In order to obtain anorganopolysiloxane with the desired weight-average molecular weight, thereaction temperature and time, and the amounts of water and the organicsolvent can be adjusted as required. Prior to use, the unnecessaryorganic solvent may be removed to produce a powder if required.

Hydrosilyl Group-Containing Compound (A2)

Molecules of the organopolysiloxane (A1) described above are linkedtogether by the hydrosilyl group-containing compound (A2), therebyincreasing the molecular weight and producing the organopolysiloxane(A).

The hydrosilyl group-containing compound (A2) is composed of: anorganohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by an average composition formula(1):

R⁷ _(a)H_(b)SiO_((4-a-b)/2)  (1)

(wherein R⁷ represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group other than analkenyl group, and a and b are numbers that respectively satisfy0.75≦a≦2.5, 0.05≦b≦1.0, and 0.8≦a+b≦2.6),and having at least two hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms withineach molecule, ora bis-hydrosilyl compound represented by a general formula (2):

(wherein each of R⁸ and R⁹ independently represents a monovalenthydrocarbon group other than an alkenyl group, and X represents adivalent organic group), or a combination thereof.

The hydrosilyl group-containing compound (A2) is used in an amountsufficient to provide 0.4 to 1.0 mols of hydrogen atoms bonded tosilicon atoms per 1 mol of all the alkenyl groups within theorganopolysiloxane (A1).

In the average composition formula (1), a indicates the amount ofmonovalent hydrocarbon groups R⁷ within the molecule. If a is less than0.75, then the value of b, namely the amount of SiH groups, increasesrelatively. Considering the hydrosilylation reaction with the alkenylgroups of the component (A1), if the amount of SiH groups is too large,then the resulting degree of cross-linking becomes overly high, and theproduct becomes prone to gelling. Further, if a large amount of SiHgroups remain within the product following reaction, then thermaldegradation may cause undesirable gas generation. In contrast if aexceeds 2.5, then the amount of SiH groups contributing to cross-linkingis too small, meaning the molecular weight of the product cannot beincreased to the desired value, which results in a level of heatresistance that is unsatisfactory. In terms of ease of availability ofthe silicon raw material, the value of b is preferably 1.0 or less,whereas in order to ensure satisfactory progression of the cross-linkingreaction, the value of b is preferably 0.05 or greater.

In the average composition formula (1) and the general formula (2),examples of the monovalent hydrocarbon group other than an alkenyl grouprepresented by R⁷, R⁸ and R⁹ include the same unsubstituted orsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon groups of 1 to 10 carbon atoms asthose listed above as examples of R¹ to R⁶, with the exception of thealkenyl groups, and of these, a methyl group, propyl group or phenylgroup is preferred. Further, examples of the divalent organic grouprepresented by X in the general formula (2) include divalent hydrocarbongroups, or more specifically, divalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbongroups of 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methylene group, ethylene groupor linear or branched-C₄H₈— group, and divalent aromatic hydrocarbongroups such as a phenylene group. A methylene group, ethylene group,—C₄H₈— group or phenylene group is preferred, and from the viewpoint ofachieving superior heat resistance, a phenylene group is particularlydesirable.

A single organohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by the averagecomposition formula (1) or a single bis-hydrosilyl compound representedby the general formula (2) may be used as the component (A2), oralternatively, a combination of two or more of these compounds may beused.

In the reaction between the component (A1) and the component (A2), themolar ratio of the total amount of SiH groups within the component (A2)relative to the total amount of alkenyl groups within the component (A1)is typically within a range from 0.4 to 1.0, and preferably from 0.5 to0.8. If this molar ratio is less than 0.4, then the increase in themolecular weight of the product tends to be inadequate, making itdifficult to achieve the desired properties. In contrast, if this ratioexceeds 1.0, then the cross-linking density within the product resin(the organopolysiloxane (A)) tends to be too high, and the productbecomes prone to gelling. Further, the SiH groups exist in excess in thereaction system, increasing the likelihood of SiH groups being retainedwithin the product resin, which tends to cause undesirable foamingduring heat resistance testing following bonding.

Examples of the organohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by the averagecomposition formula (1) include linear polysiloxanes having SiH groupsat both terminals, represented by a general formula (3) shown below.

In the general formula (3), R⁸ to R¹¹ each represents a monovalenthydrocarbon group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and specific examples ofgroups that may be used include a methyl group, propyl group, hexylgroup, cyclohexyl group or phenyl group. A methyl group or phenyl groupis particularly desirable. Further, from the viewpoint of achievingfavorable heat resistance, the phenyl group content is preferably atleast 20 mol %.

n is preferably within a range from 0 to 38, and more preferably from 0to 2. If n is greater than 38, then the compatibility of the component(A2) and the alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A1)deteriorates, and the reactivity of the terminal SiH groups also tendsto weaken.

The weight-average molecular weight of the organopolysiloxane (A)obtained in the manner described above is typically at least 15,000, andis preferably at least 20,000, and more preferably 22,000 or greater.Further, the weight-average molecular weight is preferably not more than1,000,000, and more preferably not more than 800,000. If theweight-average molecular weight is less than 15,000, then the heatresistance of the adhesive layer deteriorates and the occurrence ofvoids becomes more prevalent, both of which are undesirable.

The organopolysiloxane (A) has a softening point that is preferablywithin a temperature range from 40 to 300° C., more preferably from 40to 230° C., and still more preferably from 40 to 200° C., and ispreferably a solid at temperatures not exceeding 40° C., andparticularly at temperatures within a range from 0 to 30° C.

—(B) Organic Solvent—

The component (B) dissolves the organopolysiloxane of the component (A)to form a coating solution. The coating solution is preferably able tobe applied by a conventional film formation method such as spin coatingto form a thin film with a thickness (following drying) of 1 to 150 μm.The thickness of the film is more preferably within a range from 5 to120 μm, and still more preferably from 10 to 100 μm.

Further, organic solvents having a boiling point exceeding 220° C. arenot desirable as they tend to be difficult to volatilize, even duringthe heated drying performed following the coating step, and aretherefore more likely to be retained within the film. This retainedsolvent can cause the formation of gas bubbles at the bonding interfacewhen the bonded structure is exposed to high temperatures during theheating process that is performed following the bonding of thesubstrate.

Specific examples of organic solvents having a boiling point of not morethan 220° C., and preferably within a range from 50 to 220° C., whichcan be used as the component (B), include the solvents listed below.

-   -   Hydrocarbons: pentane, hexane, cyclohexane, decane, isododecane,        limonene    -   Ketones: acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone,        cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone    -   Esters: ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethyl lactate, ethyl        propionate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate    -   Ethers: tetrahydrofuran, cyclopentyl methyl ether, ethylene        glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, propylene        glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol diethyl ether,        dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dipropylene glycol diethyl        ether    -   Alcohols: ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, ethylene glycol,        ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol, propylene        glycol monomethyl ether

Of the above solvents, isododecane, cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone,propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate and propylene glycolmonomethyl ether are ideal.

—Other Components—

Besides the component (A) and the component (B) described above, ifrequired, a conventional surfactant may be added to improve the coatingproperties of the composition. Specifically, a nonionic surfactant ispreferred, examples of which include a fluorine-based surfactant,perfluoroalkyl polyoxyethylene ethanol, fluorinated alkyl ester,perfluoroalkyl amine oxide or fluorine-containing organosiloxane-basedcompound.

Further, in order to further enhance the heat resistance, a conventionalantioxidant or a filler such as silica may also be added.

<Method of Producing Thin Wafer>

In the method of producing a thin wafer according to the presentinvention, the temporary adhesive composition described above is used asthe adhesive layer for bonding a wafer having a semiconductor circuitand a support that is used in reducing the thickness of the wafer. Thethickness of the thin wafer obtained using the production method of thepresent invention is typically within a range from 5 to 300 μm, and moretypically from 10 to 100 μm.

The method of producing a thin wafer according to the present inventionincludes the steps (a) to (e) described below.

[Step (a)]

Step (a) comprises bonding the circuit-formed surface of a wafercomprising the circuit-formed surface and a non-circuit-formed surfaceto a support with an adhesive layer composed of the temporary adhesivecomposition described above disposed therebetween. The wafer comprisingthe circuit-formed surface and the non-circuit-formed surface is a waferin which one surface is the circuit-formed surface and the other surfaceis the non-circuit-formed surface. The wafer to which the presentinvention is applied is typically a semiconductor wafer. Examples of thesemiconductor wafer include not only silicon wafers, but also germaniumwafers, gallium arsenide wafers, gallium phosphide wafers, and aluminumgallium arsenide wafers and the like. Although there are no particularlimitations on the thickness of the wafer, the thickness is typicallywithin a range from 600 to 800 μm, and more typically from 625 to 775μm.

Examples of the support include silicon sheets, glass sheets and quartzsheets and the like. In the present invention, because there is nonecessity to irradiate an energy beam through the support and onto theadhesive layer, the support need not necessarily be formed of alight-transmissive material.

The adhesive layer is a layer composed of the above-described temporaryadhesive composition. The adhesive layer is formed on either one or bothof the circuit-formed surface of the wafer and one surface of thesupport, and the circuit-formed surface of the wafer is then bonded tothe support surface via the adhesive layer. The formation of theadhesive layer on the circuit-formed surface of the wafer and/or thesupport surface is achieved by applying the above temporary adhesivecomposition to the appropriate surface or surfaces, and then drying thecomposition to remove the organic solvent of the component (B). Thedrying is typically performed by heating at a temperature of 80 to 200°C.

The adhesive layer of the present invention is softened by heating. Thetemperature range across which the resin (organopolysiloxane (A)) withinthe adhesive layer undergoes softening is preferably within a range from40 to 300° C., more preferably from 40 to 230° C., and still morepreferably from 40 to 200° C. By subjecting the wafer and the support touniform compression under reduced pressure at a temperature within thisrange, a stacked product comprising the wafer bonded to the support isformed. More specifically, a chamber in which the wafer and the supporthave been installed is heated, under reduced pressure, to a temperaturewithin the above range, thereby softening or melting theorganopolysiloxane (A) within the adhesive layer, and the wafer and thesupport are then brought into contact and subjected to thermocompressionbonding, thus enabling a uniform bonding interface to be formed withoutthe incorporation of gas bubbles at the bonding interface. During thebonding of the wafer to the support via the adhesive layer, thetemperature of the support is preferably within the temperature rangementioned above. Because the organopolysiloxane within the adhesivelayer undergoes adequate softening at the above bonding temperature, anyirregularities that exist on the surface of the wafer undergoing bondingcan be completely filled, with no voids. The compression is applied at apressure that is typically not more than 63 N/cm², preferably within arange from 1 to 32 N/cm², and more preferably from 2 to 23 N/cm². Inother words, in the case of an 8-inch wafer, bonding may be conductedunder an applied load of not more than 20 kN, preferably not more than10 kN, and more preferably 7 kN or less.

Commercially available apparatus can be used as the wafer bondingapparatus, and examples include the EVG520IS and 850TB systemsmanufactured by EV Group, and the XBC300 Wafer Bonder manufactured bySUSS MicroTec AG.

[Step (b)]

Step (b) comprises grinding the non-circuit-formed surface of the waferthat has been bonded to the support, namely, grinding the back surfaceon the wafer side of the stacked structure obtained by the bondingperformed in step (a), thereby reducing the thickness of the wafer.There are no particular limitations on the method used for grinding thewafer back surface, and conventional grinding methods may be used. Thegrinding is preferably performed with continuous cooling by applyingwater to the wafer and the grinding stone. Examples of apparatus thatcan be used for the grinding of the wafer back surface include theDAG-810 Grinder manufactured by DISCO Corporation.

[Step (c)]

Step (c) comprises processing the ground wafer, namely the groundnon-circuit-formed surface of the wafer that has been reduced inthickness by the back surface grinding. This step includes a variety ofprocesses used at the wafer level. Examples of these processes includeelectrode formation, metal wiring formation and protective filmformation and the like. More specific examples of the processes includevarious conventional processes such as metal sputtering which is usedfor forming electrodes and the like, wet etching which is used foretching metal sputtered layers, pattern formation by application,exposure and developing of a resist, which is used for forming a maskfor metal wiring formation, as well as resist removal, dry etching,metal plating formation, silicon etching for TSV formation, and oxidefilm formation on silicon surfaces.

[Step (d)]

Step (d) comprises detaching the wafer that has been processed in step(c) from the support, namely, detaching the reduced thickness wafer thathas been subjected to a variety of processes from the support prior todicing of the wafer. Although there are no particular limitations on thedetachment method employed, the main examples include methods thatcomprise heating the wafer and the support while sliding the wafer andthe support in opposing horizontal directions to achieve detachment,methods that comprise securing either the wafer or the support of thestacked structure horizontally and then heating the structure while theother non-secured component is lifted off at a predetermined angle fromthe horizontal, and methods that comprise bonding a protective film tothe ground surface of the wafer and subsequently peeling the wafer andthe protective film away from the support.

In the present invention, any of these detachment methods may beemployed, but the horizontal slide detachment method is particularlysuitable. In this method, the stacked structure is heated, and when theadhesive layer has reached a melted or softened state, a horizontalforce is applied to detach the wafer from the support. For the adhesivesused in the present invention, the heating temperature is preferablywithin a range from 50 to 300° C., more preferably from 60 to 230° C.,and still more preferably from 70 to 200° C.

Examples of apparatus that can be used for performing this detachmentinclude the EVG850 DB system manufactured by EV Group, and the XBC300Wafer Bonder manufactured by SUSS MicroTec AG.

[Step (e)]

Step (e) comprises removing residual adhesive from the circuit-formedsurface of the detached wafer. This removal of residual adhesive can beachieved, for example, by cleaning the wafer.

In step (e), any cleaning liquid that is capable of dissolving theorganopolysiloxane within the adhesive layer can be used, and specificexamples of the cleaning liquid include ketones such as acetone,cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, 2-butanone, methyl isobutyl ketone,2-heptanone and 2-octanone, esters such as butyl acetate, methylbenzoate and γ-butyrolactone, cellosolves such as butyl cellosolveacetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether and propylene glycolmonomethyl ether acetate, amides such as N,N-dimethylformamide,N,N-dimethylacetamide and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and alcohols such asisopropanol and butanol. Among these, ketones, esters, cellosolves andalcohols are preferred, and propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propyleneglycol monomethyl ether acetate, n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, acetone,cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, 2-butanone, methyl isobutyl ketone andisopropanol are particularly desirable. These solvents may be usedindividually or in mixtures containing two or more different solvents.Further, in those cases where removal of the residual adhesive provesdifficult, a base or acid may be added to the solvent if required.Examples of bases that may be added include amines such as ethanolamine,diethanolamine, triethanolamine, triethylamine and ammonia, and ammoniumsalts such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide. Examples of acids that maybe added include organic acids such as acetic acid, oxalic acid,benzenesulfonic acid and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. The amount addedof the acid or base, reported as a concentration within the cleaningliquid, is typically within a range from 0.01 to 10% by mass, andpreferably from 0.1 to 5% by mass. Further, in order to further improvethe removability of residues, a conventional surfactant may also beadded to the cleaning liquid. Examples of the cleaning method employedinclude puddle cleaning methods and spray cleaning methods using theliquid described above, and methods that involve immersion in a tankcontaining the cleaning liquid. Cleaning is typically performed at atemperature of 10 to 80° C., and preferably 15 to 65° C.

EXAMPLES Preparation Example 1 Synthesis of Alkenyl Group-ContainingOrganopolysiloxane (A1)

A 1 L flask fitted with a stirrer, a cooling device and a thermometerwas charged with 234 g (13 mols) of water and 35 g of toluene, and theflask was then heated to 80° C. in an oil bath. A dropping funnel wascharged with 127 g (0.6 mols) of phenyltrichlorosilane, 56 g (0.2 mols)of diphenyldichlorosilane, 14.1 g (0.1 mols) ofmethylvinyldichlorosilane and 9 g (0.1 mols) of trimethylchlorosilane,and the resulting mixture in the dropping funnel was then added dropwiseto the flask with constant stirring over a period of one hour. Followingcompletion of the dropwise addition, the reaction mixture was stirredfor a further one hour at 80° C. Subsequently, the reaction mixture wasleft to settle while cooling to room temperature, the separated waterphase was removed, and then a water washing operation, in which a 10%aqueous solution of sodium sulfate was mixed with the toluene phase for10 minutes, the resulting mixture was left to settle for 30 minutes andthe separated aqueous phase was then removed, was repeated until thetoluene phase was neutral, thereby halting the reaction. An esteradapter was then connected to the flask, and the toluene phasecontaining the organopolysiloxane was heated under reflux to removeresidual water from the toluene phase. Once the temperature inside theflask had reached 110° C., the reflux was continued for a further onehour, and the toluene solution was then cooled to room temperature. Thethus obtained organopolysiloxane solution was filtered to removeimpurities, and the toluene was then removed by distillation underreduced pressure, yielding 134 g of a solid organopolysiloxane (resina1-1).

The obtained organopolysiloxane comprised 60 mol % of T units, 30 mol %of D units and 10 mol % of M units, the terminals included 0.03 mols ofsilanol groups per 100 g of the organopolysiloxane, the externalappearance was of a colorless transparent solid, and the weight-averagemolecular weight was 9,100. Further, the softening point of the resinwas 80° C.

This resin a1-1 was dissolved in cyclopentanone to form a solution witha solid fraction concentration of 75%, and this solution was termed theresin solution R.

Preparation Example 2 Synthesis of Alkenyl Group-ContainingOrganopolysiloxane (A1)

An apparatus was setup in a similar manner to Preparation Example 1, the1 L flask was charged with 234 g (13 mols) of water and 35 g of toluene,and the flask was then heated to 80° C. in an oil bath. With theexception of charging the dropping funnel with 148 g (0.8 mols) ofphenyltrichlorosilane, 11.3 g (0.08 mols) of methylvinyldichlorosilaneand 26.5 g (0.12 mols) of dimethylvinylchlorosilane, preparation wasconducted in the same manner as Preparation Example 1, yielding 120 g ofa solid organopolysiloxane (resin a1-2).

The thus obtained organopolysiloxane comprised 80 mol % of T units, 8mol % of D units and 12 mol % of M units, the terminals included 0.02mols of silanol groups per 100 g of the organopolysiloxane, the externalappearance was of a colorless transparent solid, and the weight-averagemolecular weight was 6,200. Further, the softening point of the resinwas 74° C.

Preparation Example 3 Synthesis of Organopolysiloxane (A)

100 g of the solid organopolysiloxane (resin a1-1) obtained inPreparation Example 1 was used as the component (A1), and was dissolvedin 100 g of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate to prepare asolution with a solid fraction concentration of 50%. Sufficient platinumcatalyst was added to the solution to provide 100 ppm of platinum atomsrelative to the mass of resin, and with the resulting mixture heated to60° C., 3.75 g of 1,1,2,2-tetramethyldisiloxane was added dropwise tothe reaction mixture as the component (A2), and the amount of heatgenerated as a result of reaction was observed. The amount of thecomponent (A2) relative to the component (A1) was equivalent to an H/Viratio of 0.75. The reaction was continued for 2 hours at 80° C., and wasthen halted. Subsequently, the reaction mixture was concentrated byremoval of some of the solvent by distillation under reduced pressure,yielding a resin solution P with a solid fraction concentration of 75%.Measurement of the weight-average molecular weight Mw of the resin byGPC revealed a value of 27,000.

Preparation Example 4 Synthesis of Organopolysiloxane (A)

With the exceptions of using 100 g of the organopolysiloxane (resina1-2) as the component (A1) and using 5.2 g ofpara-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene as the component (A2), reaction wasconducted in the same manner as Preparation Example 3, yielding a resinsolution Q having a solid fraction concentration of 75% and aweight-average molecular weight for the resin of 34,200. The amount ofthe component (A2) relative to the component (A1) was equivalent to anH/Vi ratio of 0.8.

Comparative Preparation Example 1 Synthesis of Resin Corresponding withAlkenyl Group-Containing Organopolysiloxane (A1)

An apparatus was setup in a similar manner to Preparation Example 1, the1 L flask was charged with 234 g (13 mols) of water and 35 g of toluene,and the flask was then heated to 80° C. in an oil bath. With theexception of charging the dropping funnel with 53 g (0.25 mols) ofphenyltrichlorosilane, 101 g (0.4 mols) of diphenyldichlorosilane, 35.3g (0.25 mols) of methylvinyldichlorosilane and 11 g (0.1 mols) oftrimethylchlorosilane, preparation was conducted in the same manner asPreparation Example 1, yielding 142 g of a highly viscousorganopolysiloxane (comparative resin 1).

The thus obtained organopolysiloxane comprised 25 mol % of T units, 65mol % of D units and 10 mol % of M units, the terminals included 0.01mols of silanol groups per 100 g of the organopolysiloxane, the externalappearance was of a colorless transparent solid, and the weight-averagemolecular weight was 11,700. This resin exhibited fluidity at roomtemperature, but the softening point of a solid sample prepared bycooling was 23° C.

Comparative Preparation Example 2 Synthesis of Resin Corresponding withOrganopolysiloxane (A)

Using 100 g of the organopolysiloxane (comparative resin 1) and 8.8 g of1,1,2,2-tetramethyldisiloxane, reaction was performed in the same manneras Preparation Example 3, yielding a resin solution S having a solidfraction concentration of 75% and a weight-average molecular weight forthe resin of 14,200. The H/Vi ratio of the reaction components in thereaction was 0.75.

Examples 1 and 2, Comparative Examples 1 and 2

Using each of the resin solutions (P, Q, R and S), an adhesive layerhaving a thickness (following drying) shown in Table 1 was formed byspin coating the solution across the entire surface of one side of an8-inch silicon wafer (thickness: 725 μm). Using a glass sheet with adiameter of 8 inches as a support, this support and the silicon waferhaving the adhesive layer formed thereon were then bonded togetherinside a vacuum bonding apparatus under the conditions shown in Table 1,thus preparing a stacked product.

Subsequently, the tests described below were performed. Further,separate test substrates were also prepared to evaluate thedetachability and the cleaning removability of the resins. The resultsare shown in Table 1.

—Tack Test—

Following spin coating, the coating film was placed on a hotplate at150° C. for 2 minutes to dry, and following total removal of the solventwithin the film, the resulting thin film was evaluated for tack byfinger touch. If the film exhibited no tack, then a “good” result wasrecorded, whereas if the film exhibited tack, a “poor” result wasrecorded.

—Adhesion Test—

Bonding of the 8-inch wafer was performed using a Wafer Bonding System520IS manufactured by EV Group. The bonding was performed at the bondingtemperature shown in Table 1, at an internal chamber pressure duringbonding of not more than 10⁻³ mbar, and under a loading of 5 kN.Following bonding, the stacked structure was cooled to room temperature,and the state of adhesion at the bonding interface was inspectedvisually. In those cases where no anomalies such as gas bubbles hadoccurred at the interface, the adhesion was evaluated as good and wasrecorded using the symbol O, whereas in those cases where anomalies weredetected, the adhesion was evaluated as poor and was recorded using thesymbol x.

—Back Surface Grinding Durability Test—

Grinding of the back surface of the silicon wafer was conducted using agrinder (DAG810, manufactured by DISCO Corporation). Following grindingdown to a final substrate thickness of 50 μm, the wafer was inspectedunder an optical microscope for the existence of anomalies such ascracking or detachment. In those cases where no anomalies had occurred,the grinding durability was evaluated as good and was recorded using thesymbol O, whereas in those cases where anomalies were detected, thegrinding durability was evaluated as poor and was recorded using thesymbol x.

—Heat Resistance Test—

A stacked structure in which the silicon wafer had been subjected toback surface grinding was placed inside an oven at 250° C. under anitrogen atmosphere for two hours, and was then heated on a hot plate at270° C. for 10 minutes and inspected for the existence of externalappearance anomalies. In those cases where no external appearanceanomalies had occurred, the heat resistance was evaluated as good andwas recorded using the symbol O, whereas in those cases where externalappearance anomalies were detected, the heat resistance was evaluated aspoor and was recorded using the symbol x.

—Detachability Test—

The detachability of a substrate was evaluated in a simulated mannerusing the test described below.

The adhesive layer described above was formed on a separate 6-inchsilicon wafer, and with the wafer undergoing heating on a hotplate atthe temperature shown in Table 1, a silicon substrate that had been cutinto a fragment with dimensions of 35 mm×35 mm×thickness: 0.68 mm(hereinafter referred to as the “silicon fragment”) was pressed onto andbonded to the wafer. Subsequently, the stacked structure was exposed tothe same conditions as those used in the above heat resistance test, anda bond tester (series 4000, manufactured by DAGE Precision IndustriesLtd.) was used to perform a detachability test described below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the method used in the detachabilitytest. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a test piece composed of a silicon wafer1, an adhesive layer 2 formed on top of the silicon wafer 1, and asilicon fragment 3 bonded to the silicon wafer 1 via the adhesive layer2 was secured to a heater 4 fitted with a vacuum chuck. With the testpiece being heated at 180° C., a probe 5 of the above-mentioned bondtester was moved in the direction of the arrow 6 and pressed against theside of the silicon fragment 3 in a horizontal direction. The size ofthis pressing force was gradually increased, and the force at the pointwhere the silicon fragment 3 started to slide was measured. In thosecases where the silicon fragment started to slide at a horizontalpressing force of not more than 1 N, the detachability was evaluated asgood and was recorded using the symbol O, whereas in those cases where aforce exceeding 1 N was required, the detachability was evaluated aspoor and was recorded using the symbol x.

—Cleaning Removability Test—

Following completion of the detachability test described above, the6-inch wafer (which had been exposed to the heat resistance testconditions) was secured on a spin coater with the adhesive layer facingupward, and propylene glycol monomethyl ether was sprayed onto the waferas a cleaning solvent. The propylene glycol monomethyl ether was left tosit on the wafer for two minutes at 23° C. and was then discarded, andthis operation of spraying propylene glycol monomethyl ether onto thewafer and leaving it to sit for two minutes before discarding wasrepeated a further two times. Subsequently, with the wafer being spun,isopropyl alcohol (IPA) was sprayed on to the wafer to perform a rinse.Subsequently, the external appearance of the wafer was inspectedvisually for the presence of residual adhesive resin. In those caseswhere no resin residues were detected, the cleaning removability wasevaluated as good and was recorded using the symbol O, whereas in thosecases where resin residues were detected, the cleaning removability wasevaluated as poor and was recorded using the symbol x.

TABLE 1 Comparative Comparative Example 1 Example 2 example 1 example 2Resin solution Solution P Solution Q Solution R Solution S Filmthickness μm 30 30 30 30 Tack good good good poor Bonding 170° C. 180°C. 160° C. 160° C. temperature Adhesion ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ Back surface ◯ ◯ ◯ Xgrinding durability Heat resistance ◯ ◯ X — Detachability ◯ ◯ ◯ —Cleaning ◯ ◯ ◯ — removability

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The temporary adhesive composition of the present invention is useful,for example, in the field of semiconductor production, for achievingtemporary adhesion between wafers or between a wafer and a support, suchas the case where the circuit-formed surface of a semiconductor wafer isbonded to a support while the non-circuit-formed surface of the wafer issubjected to grinding, and the support is then readily detachedfollowing completion of the grinding.

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A method of producing a thin wafer, the methodcomprising: (a) bonding a circuit-formed surface of a wafer having thecircuit-formed surface and a non-circuit-formed surface to a support,with an adhesive layer composed of a temporary adhesive compositiondisposed therebetween, where the temporary adhesive compositioncomprises: (A) a cured product of an organopolysiloxane having aweight-average molecular weight of at least 15,000, obtained by ahydrosilylation reaction between an alkenyl group-containingorganopolysiloxane (A1) and a hydrosilyl group-containing compound (A2)in presence of a platinum group metal-based catalyst, wherein (A1) is analkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane having a weight-averagemolecular weight exceeding 2,000, comprising: (I) 35 to 99 mol % ofsiloxane units represented by R¹SiO_(3/2) (T units), (II) 0 to 49 mol %of siloxane units represented by R²R³SiO_(2/2) units (D units) and (III)1 to 25 mol % of siloxane units represented by R⁴R⁵R⁶SiO_(1/2) units (Munits), wherein each of R¹ to R⁶ represents an unsubstituted orsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms, inwhich alkenyl groups bonded to silicon atoms represent at least 2 mol %of all organic groups bonded to silicon atoms, and (A2) is a hydrosilylgroup-containing compound comprising: an organohydrogenpolysiloxanerepresented by an average composition formula (1):R⁷ _(a)H_(b)SiO_((4-a-b)/2)  (1) wherein R⁷ represents a monovalenthydrocarbon group other than an alkenyl group, and a and b are numbersthat respectively satisfy 0.75≦a≦2.5, 0.05≦b≦1.0, and 0.8≦a+b≦2.6, andhaving at least two hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms within eachmolecule, or a bis-hydrosilyl compound represented by a general formula(2):

wherein each of R⁸ and R⁹ independently represents a monovalenthydrocarbon group other than an alkenyl group, and X represents adivalent organic group, or a combination thereof, in an amountsufficient to provide 0.4 to 1.0 mols of hydrogen atoms bonded tosilicon atoms per 1 mol of all the alkenyl groups within theorganopolysiloxane (A1), and (B) an organic solvent having a boilingpoint of not more than 220° C., (b) grinding the non-circuit-formedsurface of the wafer bonded to the support, (c) processing thenon-circuit-formed surface of the wafer that has undergone grinding ofthe non-circuit-formed surface, (d) detaching the processed wafer fromthe support, and (e) removing residual adhesive composition from thecircuit-formed surface of the detached wafer.
 7. The method according toclaim 6, wherein the alkenyl groups within the alkenyl group-containingorganopolysiloxane (A1) are vinyl groups, and are contained within theunsubstituted or substituted monovalent hydrocarbon groups of R¹, R²,R³, R⁴, R⁵ and/or R⁶.
 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein theorganohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by the average compositionformula (1) is represented by a formula (3):

wherein n represents an integer of 0 to 38, and each of R⁸ to R¹¹independently represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalenthydrocarbon group.
 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein theorganopolysiloxane of component (A1) is composed of: (I) 40 to 98.9 mol% of the T units, (II) 0 to 48.9 mol % of the D units, (III) 0.1 to 30mol % of siloxane units represented by SiO_(4/2) (Q units), and (IV) 1to 25 mol % of the M units.
 10. The method according to claim 6, whereinthe solvent of component (B) is an organic solvent having a boilingpoint of from 50 to 220° C.
 11. The method according to claim 6, whereinthe solvent of component (B) is one or more selected from the groupconsisting of pentane, hexane, cyclohexane, decane, isododecane,limonene, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone,cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethyllactate, ethyl propionate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate,tetrahydrofuran, cyclopentyl methyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethylether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether,propylene glycol diethyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether,dipropylene glycol diethyl ether, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol,ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol, andpropylene glycol monomethyl ether.
 12. The method according to claim 6,wherein the solvent of component (B) is one or more selected fromisododecane, cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, propylene glycol monomethylether acetate and propylene glycol monomethyl ether.